Have you ever been to a white elephant gift exchange? Then you know how everyone goes for the box with the prettiest bow, even though we all know that's the one that has the stale apple and branded notepad in it. That's because presentat…
When traveling, I find myself falling in love with places I go. I usually try and find something to take home with me that will always remind me of it, which is probably why I love when artists create that same feeling with their artwork…
I jumped through many hoops to get my son to finally use the potty: candy rewards, sticker charts, pleading. But I never did try a potty-training doll since I found most of them to be kind of unappealing as a doll that you'd want to snug…
Its been a while since we first discovered Imaginative PlayToys , and the gorgeous handmade felt table covers she makes to turn your card table into oh...say, a pirate ship. Checking back again after awhile I discovered a new shop name a…
Why does bathing our young in a tub have to be so darn hard? The bottom is slippery, so we've got to outfit it with a non stick mat. Then there is the problem with the water spout. It's shiny (so kids gravitate towards it, obviously), an…
It seems a lot of baby toys are awfully loud these days. They light up, crinkle, beep and blast music, so sometimes its nice to just have some low-key playthings to appease our easily overstimulated little ones. These quiet handmade soft…
Merely a place mat for children? Perish the thought. It can be a hat, a brooch, or a pterodactyl. Or just a handy color-your-own disguise kit for a messy kid who needs a mustache. The Paper Disguises Place Mat at My Sweet Muffin is a fan…
You know how sometimes, when you're walking down the sidewalk, you can smell someone's laundry in the dryer? I'll admit it--I love that smell. And I've missed having it at my own home , since I gave up the high-chemical detergents and st…
I make it no secret that I have a huge crush on the Canadian Ryans: Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling. But since I'm not 15 anymore, I'm pretty sure the glossy posters on my ceiling or calendars on my wall are out of the question. But a tea…
Other than my morning cup of joe (like one of these iced coffee recipes, yum), I tend to drink water. But when the heat is on, I find myself craving lemonade, frosty coffee drinks, and other summer coolers. I can down icy drinks from Sta…
I learned the hard way, as have many parents, that if you buy a cheap backpack for your kid, even your toddler, you will be buying a second (and possibly third) backpack before the school year is through. So now I look for good quality, …
If you haven't yet checked out the beautifully designed online style mag, CeciStyle , from the custom stationers of Ceci New York, we think you might like it. In fact, today is a pretty good day to do that very thing. Not coincidentally,…
[ updated with corrected info] There is something so special about children's clothes with history. Hand-me-downs aren't just a frugal choice : there's often meaning in seeing your child in his grandpa's favorite college sweatshirt. And …
My favorite pastime is visiting flea markets and discovering items that will bring character to my child's space and my own space. And finding great deals adds to the excitement. But now there's an adorable shop online that's giving me t…
In some neighborhoods, where feeding a baby a single french fry will earn you the disdain of onlooking parents everywhere (would I know of such a thing?) my anti-authority side is loving a line of vaguely irreverent baby and kids clothes…
Between summer camp and school, tossing an ice pack in with a sandwich, apple and yogurt is pretty much a no-brainer at this point. But when you consider that not all lunch boxes and ice packs are made for each other, there are plenty of…
This sunblock is so good, so easy, and so waterproof that my kids call it only "the good one." Well, not my three-year-old. He calls it "dat good can dat you spray." Translation: winning product. The brand is MD Solar Sciences, which bil…
One of my children's very favorite thing about Grandma's house is the the swing in the backyard. We are city-dwellers after all, and swings are generally something you have to wait in line for. This one started as a little baby swing han…
Here are some of our top tech picks from the last week, just in case you missed them. 1. Finally-- an easy way to let your toddler enjoy your iPhone without breaking it... or calling China. 2. Whether your kid loves science or just think…
One of the essentials in my girls' summer wardrobe when they were babies were bloomers. It was so easy to just toss a cute pair over a diaper, add a little tunic or tee, and we were off. I love the selection of high quality cotton baby b…
Not everyone gets excited about cool passport holders. But I do. While I'm not the most organized of people in my normal, day-to-day life, I turn into an organizational queen when my family travels, so I'm always on the lookout for organ…
Whether you are planning a trip to Paris or just want to sneak a little bilingual education into your day, I'm totally smitten by these adorable flashcards from our recent favorite freebie find, Mr. Printables. With the same cute, colorf…
While you're still allowed to love your American Girl, we're all in favor of international love and acceptance amongst our treasured dolls. And now there's a new doll in town, ready to put visions of Paris, croissants and classic French …
When my kids were little, they had a bunch of plastic "tools" that they could use around the house. But once they outgrew these toys and actually wanted to "saw" something, I was at a loss since our real tools were just too big and dange…
